At this point in the season, the Chicago Bears aren’t necessarily the definition of “must-see TV” after dropping four straight games and stumbling to a 3-5 record.
But despite their struggles, the team will still headline Sunday Night Football on NBC during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams as the NFL has elected not to flex the teams out of the primetime slot in favor of another matchup.
Per the NFL’s flexible scheduling rules, the NFL and NBC have the ability to flex out of certain matchups in favor of more appealing games following Week 5 and must make a decision no later than 12 days prior to the game. The window for Bears-Rams closed at midnight on Wednesday, locking in the game.
This meeting was a game many saw as a potential playoff preview. The Rams are still one of the better teams in the conference, sitting at 5-3 in a loaded NFC West division and tied for one of the wildcard spots.
The Bears, however, have regressed mightily since starting the season 3-1 and have seen their playoff chances dissipate in a blink of an eye. Like their season, their TV ratings have fallen during the losing streak as well, according to Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune.
The Bears have played in two primetime games this season, losing to the Green Bay Packers 10-3 on the Thursday Night Football opening game to kickoff the 100th season of the NFL. They also beat the Washington Redskins 31-15 on Monday Night Football in Week 3.
As of now, they have one more primetime appearance on NBC in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
